Pressed metal body construction



Sept. 29, 1931. J. LEDWINKA PRESSED METAL BODY CONSTRUCTION 7 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Oct. 2, 1924 lOI ' INVEN'I'OR. JOSEPH LEDWWKA ATTORNEY.

Sept. 29, 1931. J. LEDWINKA 1,825,275

PRESSEID METAL BODY CONSTRUCTION Filed 001:. 2 1924 '2' Sheets-Sheet 2 FIG, 25 T FIG. 24

INVEN TOR.

' JOSEPH LEDWINKA A TTORNEY.

Sept. 29, 1931. J. LEDWINKA PRESSED METAL BODY CONSTRUCTION Filed Oct. 2, 1924 7 Sheets-Sheet 3 v GE w s 3 on I J ll. 5

I N V ENTOR. JOSEPH LEDWINKA WW I ATTORL'VEI Sept. 29, 1931. J. LEDWINKA PRESSED METAL BODY CONSTRUCTION Filed 001:. 2, 1924 '7 Sheets-Sheet 4 INVENTOR.

JOSEPH LE DWINKR y WHOM/5y.

Sept. 29, 1931. J. LEDWINKA PRESSED METAL BODY CONSTRUCTION Filed Oct. 2, 1924 7 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTOR. JOSEPH LE DWINKR BY W A TTORNEY.

Sept. 29, 1931. Q J. L EDWINKA 1,325,275.

PRESSED METAL BODY CONSTRUCTION Filed Oct. 2, 1924 7 Sheets-Sheet e Ill;

INVENTOR.

JOSEPH LEDWINKR ATTORNEY Sept. 29, 1931. J. LEDWINKA PRESSED METAL BODY CONSTRUCTION '7 Sheets-Sheet 7 Filed Oct. 2, 1924 Pic-7,28

INVENTOR.

JOSEPH LEDWJNKA BY 7 Z Z ATTORNEY.

Patented Sept. 29, 1931 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE JOSEPH LEDWINKA, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR T'O EDWARD G. BUDD MANUFACTURING 00., F PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, A CORPORATION OF PENNSYLVANIA PRESSED METAL BODY CONSTRUCTION Application filed October 2, 192-4. Serial No. 741,262.

In body constructions of the class to which my invention pertains the aim is ever to simplify without reducing strength and durability, indeed to enhance strength and dura- '5 bility. Simplification almost without exception means decreased cost of material, decreased cost of fabrication and assembly, and decreased weight of the completed body, all of which are factors greatly sought after in the art. But the irregular contours of lines and'the many appurtenances of the modern motorcar have imposed difiiculty in the way of the inventor who has sought to attain these objects. These factors have often imposed much complexity. By my invention, I am able to attain these objects in an unusually great degree, instead of interfering with the appurtenances, to accommodate them more fully, and instead of marring the contour, to actually enhance the beauty of the car. At the same time I am enabled to embody the structure in combination of sub-assembly units which enables me to manufacture and ship bodies to distant points in'unit sections at a minimum cost.

The sub-assembly unit construction in body manufacture is of especial importance in that bodies are usually manufactured at great distances from the chassis in connection with which they are to be used, in that it is impractical to transport them on the chassis themselves, and they must be shipped by rail. Completely assembled, they occupy such great space per unit of weight that the" shipping expenses are very great. This A problem was early realized, and certain in ventors sought to solve it. Notably among them is the inventor Booth, who took out Patent No. 1,220,999, under date of March 27, 1917. But Booth and other inventors were dealing with the old problem of wooden bodies of the open type, and even in them sacrificed largely the adaptability to beauty of design to the ends secured. To attain simplicity of parts and simplicity of subassembly units they made many straightsided parts. I myself have invented a numher of sub-assemblyunit combinations with a View to overcoming these difliculties. By this invention I overcome them in an unusual degree. The detail structures of my invention enable me to form sub-assembly units such that every contour line of the design may be preserved, yet the space occupied by these units in shipment is of very minimum per unit of weight, and they may be most simply but strongly joined together in final assembly. At the same time I preserve the inherent simplicity of component parts so necessary for reduction in cost and weight.

My invention comprehends the whole and all or each of the parts entering into the complete structure. In the drawings I show the best embodiment of it now known to me.

Fig. 1 is aside elevation of the body.

Fig. 2 is a front elevation.

Fig. 3 is-a rear elevation.

Fig. 4 is a vertical, longitudinal section on line H of Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a perspective of the side frame sub-assembly unit of the construction.

V Fig. 6' is a perspective of the cowl or front sub-assembly. v

Fig. 7 is a similar View of the rear or tonneau sub-assembly.

Fig. 8 is a perspective view of the front seat sub-assembly.

Fig. 9 is a similar view of a cross brace sub-assembly.

Figs. 10 to 18, inclusive, are sections taken on the corresponding lines of Fig. 1 showing the structure of the elements appearing in the side elevation. I

Figs. 19, 20 and 21 are similar sections taken on the corresponding lines of Fig. 14 further showing the structure of the door post section of Fig. 14.

Fig. 22 is an enlarged view of the corner joint shown in Fig. 2 between the front door post and the rear upper edge'of the cowl panel.

Fig. 23 is a sect-ion on line 23, 23 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 26 is an enlarged view of the rear lower portion of the body as shown in Fig. 4.

Fig. 27 is a section on line 2727 of Fig. 22.

Fig. 28 is a sectional side elevation of a modified front seat structure.

Figs. 29 and 30 are detail sectional views taken respectively upon lines of the same designation in Fig. 28.

Fig. 31 is an enlarged View of the reinforcing angle shown in Fig. 24.

The body at large comprises a framework or skeleton upon which the sheet metal paneling is secured. The framework itself largely gives strength tov the construction, but it is always assisted by the paneling.

Referring, first, to Figs. 1 and 4, the underframe of the body will be seen to consist of side sills 35, tonneau sills 36 connected thereto by post D brackets 37, cross braces 38, 39 and 40, and rear tonneau sill 41. In the completed car these are all welded or otherwise secured together, and the underframe is secured either through the sills or through the cross braces 38 to 40 and the rear tonneau sill 41, or any of them, upon the chassis of the vehicle. This underframe should be such as to give the body the necessary strength laterally and longitudinally under all conditions of installation and service. Erected upon the side and tonneau sills are the A, B and C and D posts, respectively, which define the doorways of a car. The tonneau side panel structure 42 is erected upon the side sills 36 in combination with the D post, and it embodies a vertical post member E, commonly called the E post. Connecting the tops of the several posts are the top rails 43. The cowl 44, the front seat structure 45, the rear seat structure 46, and

the rear tonneau panel structure 47, are mounted transversely of the underframe composed of sills 35 and 36, braces 38 to 40. and rear tonneau sill 41, and join the post and the panel members of the side frame structure already set forth.

The side sill 35 is of the double-Z section shown in Fig. 10, which is claimed with its intricate connected elements in my copending application Serial Number 740,425, filed Sept. 29, 1924, entitled Body side sill construction. They need not be described in detail here except so far as it enters into the combinations comprehended by the invention described in this application. Branches 48, 49 and 50 constitute the outer Z of the section while branches 51, 52 and 53 constitute the inner Z of the section. Branches 50, 51 and 52 together constitute an inverted channel section presenting downwardly, while branches 49 and 53 are flanges on the outer side walls of this channel section.

The tonneau side sill 36 which is connected to the body side sill 35 by the post D bracket 37 is of angle cross section, as appears clearly in Fig. 11, and presents inwardly,

the lower branch being an inturned flange. The connection of this tonneau sill with the body side sill 35 is also fully set forth in the co-pending application to which I have referred.

The cross braces 38 to 40 are of box form comprising, as clearly appears in Figs. 4, 9 and 10, obverse and reverse channel sections, the lateral walls of which are flanged outwardly and welded together. The upper channel member is shorter than the lower (Fig. 9) whereby the projecting extremities of the lower member constitute terminal ends for securement under the flanges 49 and 53 of the side sills 35. The are formed into the shape to fit in place. The flanges of the sills and cross braces are preferably welded together. The box construction lends itself to great strength whereby when there is any lateral overhang of the body over a chassis sill, the cross braces will constitute strong transverse sustaining beams for the body.

The tonneau rear sill 41 (Figs. 4 and 26) is of Z section having its lower arm in the form of a flange 54 facing inwardly of the body and its upper arm 55 in the form of a flange facing outwardly or rearwardly of the body. These rear sills 41 are joined to the tonneau side sills 36 by vertically disposed angle members 56, the branches of which are welded respectively to the vertical branches of the sills. They are further joined by triangular gusset plates 57 (Figs. 7 and 26). Still further they are 'oined yao by-downwardly presenting channel braces 58 provided with lateral flanges 59 welded to the lower flanges of the sills 36 and 41 and to the upper faces of the gussets 57. The members 58 constitute diagonal beams comparable to the cross brace beams 38 to 40. The provision of these beams 58 58 enables one to make a very strong connection to the chassis at these points by passing securing bolts through both the beams and the chassis frame.

The A posts erected on sills 35 near their front ends are of the channel cross section shown in Figs. 12 and 13, the channels presenting inwardly of the body. Their bottoms fit upon the top faces of'sills 35 and are welded thereto. Their bodies are bowed in shape to conform to the exterior contour lines of the body. On their inner edges, as appearing in Fig. 2, they are shaped at the bottom to conform to the exterior contour lines of the cowl section 44, and at the top to conform to the front windshield opening 60. The bottom section of the post, 61, is wider than the top section, 62. At an intermediate point near its center the front wall 63 is projected inwardly as at 64 to meet the transverse front panel 65 along a downwardly and inwardly extending line 66.

This front panel 65 is joined to the exof the metal of the front panel 65 so as to make the line of meeting, 66, very close and clean. A reinforcing plate 68 is arranged interiorly of the lap joint and crossing the same, and welded to the bodies of both post extension 64 and the panel 65 as well as to the joint itself. This joint is especially easy to make, being easily reached for welding purposes from both inside and outside of the unit to which the parts belong, and,

when finished, presents exteriorly an exceptionally neat appearance, one comparable to the very neatest sort of butt joint. It constitutes the front wall 63 of the A post in effect an extension of the front or windshield panel 65 around the sides of the cowl 44.

At point 69 in the lower portion 61 of the A post the rear wall 70 of the channel section is deflected inwardly and accommodates adjacent the depression so formed the wing 71 of the hinge 71, 72 by which the front door is supported (Fig. 12). The wing 71 is screwed in place by means of screws which pass through the wall of the post and into the reinforcing block 73. This block 73 isextended inwardly and provided with an attachment 74 for a door check strap 75, indicated generally in dotted lines. 'A door check brace 76 is welded to the out-er end of block 73 and extends forwardly where it is connected with the cowl member 44. Brace 76-prevents the spread ing of the channel of the A post when the door is checked by the strap 75. The construction is extremely simple and lends itself to quick and inexpensive assembly, yet has all the strength that is required in a door mounting and checking structure subjected to the severe service found in the average motor car.

The upper portion 62 of the A post has its inner channel wall 70 similarly provided with a depression 78 accommodating the wing 79 of the hinge 79, 80 for mounting the upper portion of the door. It should be noted in connection with this hinge mounting structure that the provision of the depression in the channel wall eliminates necessity for cutting through the post walls, and renders the accurate placement of the hinge and its attachment more convenient to the worker, since both the position relative to the post and the registry of the screw holes are in full view.

The rear wall 70 of the post is provided in its upper portion with'an outturned lip flange 81 against which or its covering the inner face of the door seats when the door is closed.

The B and C post, which in this type of sedan body is the post against which both the front and rear doors close, is of the form shown more particularly in Figs. 14 and 19 to 21. Like the A post, it is of channel section, presenting inwardly of the body, is bowed exteriorly to conform to the contour of the car, and is erected directly upon the upper surfaces of side sill 35, its lower end being welded thereto. This door post is both the jamb and the lock post of the two doors. As such, and as the intermedi ate vertical element of the side frame structure of the car, considerable strength is required of it, yet it, too, must conform to the requirements of simplicity and neatness, and contribute its part to the artistic design of the body. Its lower length 82 is of a deeper section than its upper length 83, as clearly appears in Figs. 19 and 21, and in Fig. 14. The channel section of the lower length 82 has its side walls 84 and 8501? set at 86 to provide part of an accommodat-' ing structure for the locks, door bumpers,

dove tails, and glass runs. These elements are not shown. The upper length 83, however, is of simple channel section. Its side walls are provided with lateral lip flanges 93 in alignment with the offsets 86.

Extending substantially throughout the length of this B and G post is a reinforcing lining 87 also of channel section, the side walls of which are welded to the side walls of the post. These side walls are substantially flush with the inner face of the post. The bottom wall 88, however, is spaced apart from the bottom or outer wall 89 of the post except at the lower extremity where it meets and is secured to the bottom wall of the post at 90 and approximately at the middle of the post near the lock bolt opening 91 where it is also secured to the bottom wall of the post. At each of the points 90 and 91 the section of the reinforcing channel 87 conforms substantially to and is nested and secured closely within the section of the post, and along the offsets 86 it nests within the angle of the offsets. So formed, placed and secured, the reinforcing lining 87 constitutes, with the post itself, a truss structure, the reinforcing lining being the chord of the truss and the bowed postbody the crown thereof. Great strength and rigidity are thus attained in a very light member of small cross section.

The lock bolt'openings extend through the side walls of both the posts and the lining as appears in Fig. 20 but the section is made deepest at this point and moreover there are provided out-turned lip flanges 92 on both the reinforcement and the post body, of suflicient extent to bring the strength and stiffness of the fost at this section up to the required stan ard. These flanges 92, as indicated in Fig. 14, are merged below with the offset 86 and above with the out-turned lip flanges 93 (compare Figs. 14 and 19 to 21 inclusive). These latter may be said to constitute the inner overlaps of the door.

The structure of the D post is also of channel section presenting inwardly. As in the case of the A post, it is provided with the hinge mountings of similar description (see Fig. 15). The brace 94a for the lower rear door hinge structure, however, extends from the front channel wall rearwardly and is anchored by welding upon the housing 94 of the tonneau structure 42. This D post, too, instead of being erected and welded directly upon the side sill 35 is erected upon the post D bracket 37.

The tonneau side structure 42 is comprised of the tonneau side paneling of the car and is formed in one piece as usual and secured to tonneau rear sill 36 by inturning a flange 95 on its lower edge and welding its body and the flange respectively to the branches of the angle section of the sill 36 as shown clearly in Fig. 11. Its forward lower corner is cut on a bias as at 96 in Fig. 4 and extended across the post D bracket 37 to the front wall of the D post where it is inturned and welded in place as usual. Its rear edge is curved inwardly as indicated in Fig. 24 and provided with an inturned forwardly extending flange 97a adapting it to meet and be secured to the tonneau rear section 47. In this sedan body, the paneling 42 extends all the way to the top of the bod The E post is erected upon the arched section 98 (Figs. 4 and 11) of the wheel housing 94. This E post is of simple angle section as clearly appears in Fig. 16 and is joined to the wheel housing by an angle member 94?).

Between the D and E posts, the paneling 42 of this tonneau side section is cut away to form window opening 99. Its walls are flanged inwardly over that part of the window framing constituted by the E posts and the transverse outer window sill brace 100 as shown in Figs. 16 and 11. But the paneling is not extended along either the upper portion of the D post or the top rail 101, the exterior surfaces of the bodies of these members themselves constituting there the outer surface of the body. This is indicated by the lines at points 102 and 103. These lines do not appear upon the finished body by reason of the fact that the paneling is welded to the post and rail at these points, the bodies of these members having been deflected to a depth sufficient to receive the thickness of the paneling, much as in the case of the joint between the A post and front panel above described; and the joint being seam welded, and burnished and polished after welding. By s0 cutting and applying the panel considerable metal is saved, yet the strength of the body and its contour lines are unimpaired.

The outer tonneau window sill is comprised jointly of the inturned flange 104 of the paneling and the transverse sill brace 100. The inturned flange 104 have formed in it an upstanding bead 105 the inner wall of which is substantially vertical. The sill brace 100 is of angle section presenting downwardly and outwardly of the body and its upper branch is provided at or near the angle with an offset and crimped bead 106. The projecting edges of flange 104 and the upper branch of angle brace 100 are welded together to form between the beads 105 and 106 a channel for receiving window glass 107 when the same is in raised position, the glass being jumped over the crimped bead 106. Within the sill structure just described and spaced apart therefrom by the glass run opening 108 is the inner window sill comprised of member 109 of the section shown in Fig. 11, which is provided with a number of holes 110 to receive upholstery fastenings.

Side glass runs are formed respectively upon the sides of the D and E posts by welding thereto angles 111 provided at the apex of the angle with small beads 113 which serve the purpose of filleting along the lines of these angle strips along the faces of the posts. A similar device is used under the top rail 101 (Fig. 17) to receive the upper edge of the glass. The inner wall of the glass run is formed by wooden upholstery finish strips 112.

The top rail 43 which connects the tonneau side section 42 and the several posts is of a channel section presenting upwardly and founded respectively at the tops of the posts where connection in the main is made through butt joints with the tops of the posts, gas Welded in the meeting corners and along the meeting lines. Suitable reinforcements are provided in each case. That in the case of the B and C post includes a U- shaped strap socketed and welded between the bottom of the top rail channel and the side walls of the post channel as indicated at 114 in Fig. 4. A similar connection (not shown) is used in case of the D post. In the case of the E post, however, the rail 43 is abutted against the front side of the E post. A reinforcing strap 115 is welded to the channel of top rail 43 and extended all the way around the top edge of the paneling 42 just beneath and secured at intervals to the inturned upper flange 116 (Figs. 1 and 4). In the case of the A post also the top rail 43 abuts the rear side wall of the post and the reinforcement of the joint is by means of an angle 117 which angle also constitutes in its downwardly extending branch the anchorage for the upper hinge 7980 as shown in Figs. 4 and 6.

The side frame structures so formed and erected upon the underframe structure of the body are connected together transversely and interbraced with. each other and with,

, reinforcement and cross bracing member referably in the form of a shroud pan 118.

he shroud pan, too, is flanged both for convenience of welding to the cowl flange and for increase of strength at the front edge. The brace 76 of the lower hinge structure of the A post has its forward end welded directly to this shroud pan 118 near its flange thus providing a firm anchorage for this brace.

The rear edge of the cowl 44 has an in-' turned and depending flange 119 formed all the way around it. The bodies of the front panel member 65 and the front walls of the A posts (Figs. 2, 4, 12 and 22) against which the cowl abuts are extended downwardly and inwardly as the case requires to the same degree as the flange 119 and are electrically spot-welded to this flange. Above the cowl and overlying its flange 119 and the joint so made and close against the cowl body an outwardly projected bead 120 is formedin the conjoined bodies. This makes the line of juncture uniformly close and gives a finished appearance to the joinder of the cowl with the A posts and transverse panel at large. Such a joint is most effective and artistic yet most inexpensive, being so openly accessible and so simple that it can be made upon standard automatic spot welding machines.

At this point, the transverse panel 65 is, at its top, inturned as at 121 to form the windshield sill and then downturned as at 122 (Fig. 25) to form the inner face" of the sill. Its down-turned portion supports the,

instrument board 123. The opposite ends of this instrument board support are respectively secured to the opposite rear side walls of the A posts as appears in Fig. 4. So is attained amost efficient utilization of the channel section of the post, to obtain support for the cowl, the front panel andthe instrument board and at the same, time strongly cross-brace the structure. Yet the metal sections used are at once small, simple and extremely neat.

Extending between the opposite B and C posts is the front .seat structure 45. The form of this shown in Figs. 4 and 8 comprises a one-piece front heel-board and seat end support 124, a bottom pan 125, and a seat pan 126, the front seat back panel 127. The seat support 124 at its lateral bottom edges is provided with an inwardly and downwardly turned flange '128, while the front and rear portions thereof are provided with inturned flanges 129. This structure is rested upon and secured to the box sectioned cross-braces 38 and 39 and extends from side to side of the body underframe its inturned and downturned flanges 128 resting upon and secured to the tops and inner sides '51, 52 of the sills 85, the angles 5152 (Fig. 10) of the sills fitting closely within the flanges 128, and the sills being strongly cross-braced by the whole seat structure. The sides of the seat back paneling 127 are secured to the B and C posts as indicated at points 130 above the seat.

A modified front seat structure is shown in Figs. 28 to 29. In this construction, the front seat structure is composed of two separated parts instead of the unit structure shown in Fig. 8. It comprises the heelboard and seat support 128 and a separately mounted seat back support 127. The heel-board section of the support (shown diagrammatically) is founded directly upon cross brace 38 but across brace 39 is omitted and the seat end supports are mounted upon and secured directly to the top 51 of the inverted channel section of sill 35. The rearwardly extended wall of the seat end support is secured by welding to the inner face of the B and C post as indicated at 128a. The separately mounted seat back panel 127 has its bottom provided with a flange 127a and secured to a wide cross brace 40a, the seat back 127 being transversely curved and the width of brace 40a being suflicient to seat the curved panel throughout its length from sill to sill. The front edges of the panel terminate approximately in line with the front sides of the B and C post and are secured at intervals to this face by fastening means 127?). The upper extremity of the front edge'is secured to an .angle ledge 'l27c welded between the channel side walls of the post by means of a Z-shaped bracket 127d having its arms respectively secured to the top flange of the seat back panel 1.27 and the upper branch of the angle 1270. This angle is located approximately at the line of juncture of the top and bottom sections 83-82 of the B and C posts which juncture forms a jog. This jog, as indicated by the location of member 1270 in Fig. 30, is in longitudinal extension of the window sills of the doors, these sills extending the full width of the doors from rail, to rail thereof. The ledge 1270 is therefore a direct-extension of the window sill ledge.

The rear seat structure 46 is also founded transversely upon the body underframe. Its front heel board 131 has its ends secured directly upon the bottom branch'of the angle of the tonneau side sills 36. The side seat supports 132 are supported lengthwise upon the tonneau side sills 36 and have 10 their upper inturned edges (see Fig. 4) on a line between the flanged upper edge of the heel-board 131 and the top of the rear tonneau sill 41. This latter together with the heel-board 131 and the end supports 132 con- 16 stitutes the structure which supports the rear seat pan and in turn the seat. A bottom seat pan (not shown) may also be provided.

The body is completed by the rear ton- 20 mean section 47. This, like the side tonneau section 42, is composed of and strengthened largely by the paneling itself. In' this case, the paneling is curved dowardly and for wardly to give the contour to the body and 2 at its bottom edge is provided with flange 133 which extends under and is secured to the lower arm 54 of the 2 section of the tonneau sill 41. Its curvature is such that it is spaced away from the upper arm 55 of this sill. At the waist-line, the panel is offset rearwardly to form a quarter-bead 133a which defines the waist-line of the car.

This head is extended through the side panel 42 into the beading underlying the window sills of the tonneau and door windows, Fig. 1. Above the heading, the paneling is provided with a rear window opening 134. This opening is flanged in 2 section as shown at 134, 135, 136, in Fig. 4,

and in enlarged detail in Figure 24 the web 135 of the Z lying in a plane substantially parallel to the plane of the panel but spaced apart inwardly therefrom and the inner arm 136 extending forwardly. The window glass is received in the angle between the body of the Z section and the inner arm 136.

A perimetral glass retaining and finish strip of 2 section is flanged around this window opening flange (see Figs. 424).

The body of this finish strip 138 isdisplaced transversely of the panel body and its arm 138a extends inwardly toward the window opening and behind the body 135 of the window ledge. Its inner arm 138b of this finish strip extends outwardly from the window opening and constitutes a finished face for the window while the retaining strip for the glass can be accommodated within the body 138.

A spare tire-carrier 139 of usual body form is founded at its lower end upon the upper arm of the tonneau rear sill and at its upper end, which is deflected rearwardly and then forwardly, upon the under side of the window frame constituted by the inturned flange 136 and the frame member 138. This provides an especially strong anchorage and stifl'ens this brace. Intermediate its ends the brace is connected to the transverse brace 140 of the inner bracing and upholstery supporting structure of the tonneau, the details of which are not a part of the present invention and are therefore not shown.

, The sides of the tonneau rear section are provided (Figs. 7 and ,24) with inturned forwardly extending flanges 97b complemental to the flanges 97a on the tonneau side panels 42. These flanges are backed in their co'rners by reinforcing angle strips 970 coextensive with the flanges. The bottom lengths of these reinforcing angles are kerfed as indicated at 9703 to enable them to be bent readily and without distortion to the curvature of the bottom portion of the panels. The reinforcing angles and the flanges are provided with registering perforations, those on one side being vertically elongated if desired (Fig. 31) to provide a reasonable amount of adjustment, and the joint bound together by through bolts and nuts 976.

It should be quite apparent thus far that I have devised a structure which is throughout extremely simple and strong and yet which lends itself to flexible adaptation to contour lines of any description imposed by the artistic design of the body. But my invention comprehends also the sub-assembly unit construction by means of which ease of sub-assembly and low cost of shipment are obtained. With the .foregoing understanding of the detail of the structure at large, it can now be seen how the parts combine to produce this last one of the important results.

Firstly, I constitute the cowl 44, the A posts and transverse panel 65, the instrument board 123 and the front top rail 141 the first unit section. This unit includes no part of the side sills or of the top rails 43. On the other hand, the upper rear faces of the A posts are made ready to receive the butt joint of the top rails 43. The A posts carry secured in place the three way hinge supporting and joint reinforcing angle brackets 117 in position for securement to the top rails, these brackets 117 and their relation to the A posts and upper hinges being disclosed in greater detail in my copending application, Serial No. 530,114, filed January 13, 1922, to which reference is made. Sutficc it to say here that they comprise downwardly projecting arms 117a secured to the rear wall of the A post, transversely extending arms 117?) secured to the top rail 141 and rearwardly extending arms 1170 for securement to the side rails 43 in the final assembly. Also, the bottoms of A posts of this unit are made ready for a butt joint lZO with the upper surfaces of the sills 3'5 and their rear side walls are provided with lip flanges 142 (see Fig. 6) for welding or riveting to the sills. Moreover, the lower edges of the cowl are provided with inturned flanges 143 for fitting up and securement to the underside of sills 35, and the front edges of the cowl 44, with flanges 145 and shroud pan 118 for attachment to the front ends of the sills. These front ends of the sills are provided with the flange 146 and the toeboard support 147 (see Fig. 5) for abutting oinder to the shroud pan 118 or flanges 145. Because of the elimination of portions of the sills and und-erframe structure and of the toeboard support from the cowl unit, because of the nature of the simple butt joints provided for, and because of the downward and forward slope of cowls 44, the units so fabricated may be nested one within the other as indicated in Fig. 6 by dotted lines, and a great number of them shipped withm avery limlted space.

The units may be shipped'without the shroud pan assembled therein, as shown in F ig; 6, or with the shroud pan already assembled, as shown in Fig. 1.

Secondly, I make sub-assembly units of each group of side frame elements, comprising side sill 35 of'the underframe, the post D bracket 37, the tonneau side sill 36, the B and C post, the D post, the E post, the tonneau side section 42 (erected upon the sill and the connecting bracket post D) and the top rail 43. The entire length of the side sill 35 and top rail 43 is included in this sub-assembly. The front end of the top rail 43 is ready for butt oint with the upper ends of the A posts of the first or cowl unit. The front end of the sill 35 is provided with the upstanding flange 146 and toeboard 147 fully secured in place on the sill and ready for attachment to the flange 145 or shroud pan 118 of the cowl 44 by simple spot welding, quite as open and accessible as the butt joint of the top rail. There is no telescoping or other assembly operation requiring close adjustment, it being but necessary to abut the parts and weld them in place. Being free of interfering lateral projections these units, rights and lefts, may be respectively nested closely together.

At its rear end this second unit, which may be called theside frame unit, is provided with the inwardly and. forwardly turned flange 97a and appurtenant parts, adaptingitfor attachment to the rear tonneau sectio n next to be described. This attachmentis simply by bolting together. The bolted joint is openly accessible from the interior of the car from top to bottom. It

might as conveniently on final assembly be welded. No transverse members are carried by this side frame unit. Even the corner gussets 57 and corner beams 58 are omitted.

The parts may thus be nested closely together, as in the case of the units shown nested together in Figs. 6 and 7.

The third unit is the tonneau rear panel unit. This is shown as Fig. 7. It comprises the tonneau rear sill 41 with attached gussets 57 and beams 58, the tonneau rear panel 47, and the panel reinforcing frame structure 139, 140. The sill 41, gussets 57 and beams 58 are all ready for attachment by open and easily accessible lap joints to the tonneau rear sills carried by the side frame units of Fig. 5. The gussets 57 and the beams 58 extend in the same general direction taken by the downward and forward curvature of the rear panel 47, and are thus adapted especially well for the nesting together of the units as indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 7. The sides of the panels carry the flanges 97 b and their reinforcements 97c, adapting the section joint on its sides directly to the corresponding flange 97a of the side frames. The vertical line of division of the tonneau 'side frame from the tonneau rear structure is such that this line does not appear in the side elevation of the car, and the appearance of the car in side elevation is thereby enhanced.

The fourth group of units is comprised by the cross braces 38 to 40, which are individually fabricated and formed at their terminal ends for attachment without further fabrication to the sills. The body underframe is thus not assembled until the final assembly of the body. The structural form of the sills and cross braces, embodying as they do, members of channel cross section, the walls of which are provided with outwardly ex tending lip flanges, are adapted especially for open and accessible joining of the parts by electric welding upon final assembly.

The fifth and sixth units are comprised of the front and rear seat structures respectively, the front seat structure being that shown in Fig. 8 and the rear seat structure that shown in Fig. 4. The seat support 124 is secured by its inturned flanges directly to the cross braces by openly accessible riveted and welded. joints, the flanges 128 similarly secured to the side walls 52 of the channel section of the side sills. The extent of the inturned flanges 128 gives a most firm seating and bracing against the side sills. Yet the joining faces of this structure are so simple that when laid-within the body it finds its own place and sits snugly upon it. The rear seat structure may be applied with equal simplicity.

My invention is capable of many modifica l. A pressed metal vehicle body comprising front posts of channel cross-section pre- J senting. inwardly, the front wall of said posts being extended inwardly intermediate of their ends, and a transverse panel secured to the inward extensions of said walls and forming a substantially continuous surface extending from the bottom of one post across the top of the cowl to the bottom of the other post, and a cowl panel flanged inwardly at its rear edge and secured to said surface through said flange.

2. A pressed metal automobile body construction comprising an A post of channel cross-section, presenting inwardly, the front wall of which channel intermediate its ends is extended inwardly of the body, and is on its inner edge deflected laterally, and a transverse front panel secured to the deflected portion of said inward extension.

3. A pressed metal vehicle body construction comprising a cowl panel having an inturned flange, and a second panel member lying at an angle thereto and conjoined to said first-named panel by a body extension of the extent of the inturned flange and having a bead formed in its body adjoining and overlying .the flanged edge of the cowl panel.

4. A pressed metal. automobile body structure comprising a cowl provided with a down-turned flange on its rear edge, and conjoining A posts and a transverse front panel which posts are of channel section presenting inwardly and supporting the transverse front panel from their front channel walls, and each of which posts and front panel have their bodies extended inwardly to the extent of said cowl flange and beaded outwardly over the top of the cowl adjoining its flange.

5. A pressed metal automobile body construction comprising a door post of channel cross-section presenting inwardly, having one wall of its channel provided with means to mount a door check, and a lateral brace for said wall.

6. A pressed metal vehicle body structure comprising. a front door post of channel cross-section, one wall of which is provided with means to mount a door check, and a brace from the cowl section of said body to said wall.

7. A pressed metal vehicle body construction, comprising a panel provided with a flanged window opening, the flange of which is of Z section with the web of the Z disposed interiorly of the plane of the panel, and a re-inforcing window frame of 2 section having its one arm and web nesting the web and inner arm of the Z section of the window flange.

8. A pressed metal body post for closed body vehicles comprising a body of channel shaped cross-section and bowed longitudinally, provided with a re-inforcing lining bowed to a less extent than the body of the post.

9. A pressed metal body post for vehicles comprising a bowed main body of channel shaped cross-section, and a re-inforcing lining for said post welded thereto at its opposite ends but spaced therefrom at intermediate points whereby the lining constitutes with the post a truss structure.

10. A body post for vehicle structures having a hollow section and bowed longitudinally, and a lining for the post bowed to a less extent than the body of the post arranged in a trussed relation to the body of the post.

11. A pressed metal body post for vehicles which post is of hollow cross-section, and a re-inforcing lining for said post, the walls of which conjoin the interior walls of the post in the main but are deflected therefrom to provide a bumper socket the walls of said lining being of such thickness at the point of deflection as to admit change of the dimension of the socket when the socket wall is put under compression.

12. An automobile body post of hollow cross-secti0n, and bowed longitudinally, and an interior re-inforcing lining engaging the full section of the post at its opposite extremities and at its middle, but separated therefrom at intermediate points.

13. A ressed metal automobile body construction comprising a side frame structure including a shoulder forming an extension of a window ledge, and a seat back panel having a portion secured to said shoulder.

14. A pressed metal body construction, body posts havin window ledge extensions on their interior aces, and a seat back panel having a front edge terminating at the front edges of said posts and secured to the inner faces thereof, and a top edge secured to said window ledge extension.

.15. An automobile body construction, side sills of inverted channel cross-section the walls of which are provided with opposite out-turned flanges, and cross braces of similar but obverted section having the ends thereof spanning said outturned edges of each sill and the flanges thereof secured to the flanges of the side sills.

16. A pressed metal body frame cross brace of box section, comprised of inverted and obverted channel members having outturned flanges on their channel walls welded together, one of said channel sections being shorter than the other whereby projecting flanged channel sections are provided at each end to serve the purpose of attachment to side sills, the ends of said members being slightly spaced apart to receive portions of said sills.

17. A sub-assembly side frame unit of generally flat form intermediate its ends forming a component part of a complete pressed metal body structure comprlsing main and tonneau side sills connected together and a toe-board support and tonneaupanel mounted respectively at opposite terminal extremities of thesill structure.

18. A sub-assembly side frame unit of generally flat form intermediate its ends forming a component part of a complete minal extremities of the sill structure, the toe-board support being rovided with an inturned vertical flange a apted for attachment to the shroud of the bod and the tonv neau panel with an inturned ange adapted for attachment with a transverse tonneau panel of the body.

19. A body sub-assembly unit construction for pressed metal vehicle bodies comprising a side frame unit including tonneau side S111 and tonneau panel the latter of which is turned inwardly at its rear end and both the sill and the panel being provided with inturned flanges, and a tonneau rear a brace member secured at one endto said strap member.

22. A door post for vehicle bodies comprising a stamping extending from top to bottom of the body and being transversely of substantially greater dimension below the belt than above the belt, the outer side of the post being continuous and the inner side being offset to provide a ledge between said up r and lower portions corresponding wit a similar ledge on the doors.

JOSEPH LEDWINKA.

section unit comprising a tonneau rear sill I and a tonneau rear turned flanges, and a ber carried by the inturned flan tonneau rear sill of this unit a apting it for connection to the flange of the sill of the side frame unit.

20. In a pressed metal automobile body {comprising a' structure composed of main side and tonneau side sills, cross braces and a tonneau rear sill inter-connectin said side and tonneau sills connectedly orming a body under-frame, front and intermedlate posts erected on said side sills, the top rails inter-connecting the body posts, and a cowl and a rear tonneau panel secured to the sills and the posts; a sub-assembly side unit comprisin side sills, the intermediate posts erected thereon and the top rails inter-connecting the posts, together with the tonneau paneling so far as the side sills and top rails extend rearwardly; a sub-assembly cowl unit embodying the front posts, the front top anel also having indiagonal bracing memrail and the cowl paneling; and a sub-assem- 'bly tonneau unit comprising the tonneau rear sill of the under-frame and the ton neau rear panel, together with diagonal corner braces connected with the rear tonneau sill.

21. A pressed metaldoor mounting construction comprising a channel-shaped door post,-a door mounting rail, a hinge having wings connected respectively with the rail and the adjoining wall of the post, a strap member joining the rail to the post walls at the point of connection with the hinge, and

of the d solely the main side and tonneau 

